Improvement in means for packing celery-tops



J. O. TELPElL- Means for Packing Celery, Tops.

Patented June 18, 1878.*

' .PETERS, PHOTO-UTHOG-RAPHER. WASHINGTON, D. c.

Un'rrnn PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. TELFER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT "IN 'M EANS FO R PACK l'N'G CELE'RY-TO-PS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205.010, dated J une 18, 1878; application filed November 26, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. TELFER, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Packing Celery-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to a means for packing celery-tops for the purposes of preserving the bleached and marketable article for the purposes of shipment without wilting; also, of packing green celery tops and roots to bleach in the package, the whole constituting and presenting a convenient and portable and at the same time a useful and attractive manner of handling and marketing celery.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents one form of box according to my invention, said box having an open top. Fig. 2 shows a similar box with a perforated or ventilated top. Fig. 3 is a view of a box filled with celery according to my invention.

Said invention consists in the following parts and combinations, as hereinafter specified and claimed, wherein A is a box of any suitable shape and dimensions, one side of which is hinged and locked or latched, which, when freed, will swing back like a lid or door, exposing more or less of the interior of the box. The top of this box is either left entirely open, orit may be covered with slats or a perforated top.

Within the box is contained the celery, which is packed and surrounded with moist earth. The celery is placed in said box with the tops toward the open or ventilated top; and this celery may be packed either in its out condition or, roots and all, in a bleached, partially bleached, or unbleached condition. If placed while unbleached or partially bleached, it will in sufficient time become bleached in the package. The surrounding earth in which the celery is packed should be kept sufficiently moist to prevent the wilting 0f the celery. When packed in this manner celery may be kept a great length oftime,

and may be shipped to distant stations without damage. Put up in this manner, a neat, portable, and very convenient package is effected.

I do not propose to limit myself narrowly to earth as a packing material, inasmuch as tan-bark, sawdust, or some fibrous or porous substance may be found useful.

To retain the celery-stems in their proper position within the box, one or more series of sustaining-strips, C, may be employed, and these strips may be of wood, metal, or any flexible material, and should be removably attached to the walls of the box. These strips are not in the nature of deep partitions extending from top to bottom of the box, so as form close-walled spaces between them, but are of size substantially as shown, whereby they serve to securely bind the celery in place, and yet leave open spaces between the respective portions of celery thus divided. One, two, or more of these strips may be made to impinge against the celery-tops, and, as above intimated, two or more series of these strips may be used, as follows: A single course orlayer of tops may be pl aced in position, and held there by a supporting-strip, 0; then another course or layer of celery-tops may be placed, and a second retaining-strip or set of strips, 0, be provided, and so on with subsequent courses or layers of celery-tops until the box is filled, each course being fronted and supported by its separate retainer 0.

A feature of my device which I consider important is that of beveling the inner face of the box where the joint is formed with its lid or door. This part is indicated at D. Thus beveling the box prevents the collection of dirt in the crack between the box and its lid, which would operate either to prevent the closing of the said door or lid, or else would tend to spring or rupture the hinges; but by this provision all dirt or other collection is pushed down, back, and out of the way by the lid itself in its motion of closing.

, I do not limit myself to the swinging lid or door feature of my device, as this necessarily forms no essential feature of my invention. Instead of this swinging door or lid, a sliding lid, or a lid tacked or screwed in place, or in any way made easily detachable, may be substituted for the door here shown. Also, if desirable, the body of the box itself may be made perforated or ventilated in any suitable way near its upper portion, where the tops of the celery are located.

What I claim is 1. A packing device for celery or other vegetables consisting of the box formed .with an open or ventilated top, a hinged side,

and the incut bevel, extending longitudinally along the connecting fixed portion of the box with said hinged side, substantially as set forth.

2. In a packing dei ice for celery or other 

